Key Filmmaking Guidelines Before launching into production some simple guidelines should be considered: 1. Keep films short and simple. 60 seconds can be a very long time watching a boring, badly made film. Aim to produce short, good quality video stories that are one to three minutes maximum in length. Many filmmakers (of all ages) fall into the trap of trying to produce an epic movie, inevitably with unfortunate consequences. 2. Good films are: • well thought out, • tightly scripted, • well recorded, and • carefully edited. 3. Allocate lots of time to the project, and then some more, as it always takes longer than you think. 4. Encourage cooperative teamwork. 5. Encourage the production teams to make all the major production decisions before the shoot begins. Setting Up Production Teams Filmmaking is a cooperative process. What’s the Film’s Story? It is the quality of the idea that has the greatest impact on the quality of the final product so it is important to get the right initial idea for your film. A good story can carry a less than perfectly made film but pointless waffle will not. Key questions to consider at this point: • Why are you making this film? • Are there any specific requirements such as topic, content specifications, time limit and format to consider? • Who is your audience? • What is your message?
What sort of film will you make? Narrowing Down a Film Story After brainstorming list the initial ideas for their film project. First ideas are usually too "big" for a one to three minute film. At this stage each team may need to look within their initial story for more manageable "smaller" film stories of interest. • Choose one idea • Brainstorm a list of ideas within the initial story that could be more easily explored in a one to three minute film. • Share ideas, discuss, modify, refine, justify, and negotiate until one film idea is agreed. (Set a strict time limit for this.) • Give your film story a "working" title – this can be changed later. • Encourage teams to practice cooperative group skills to make this an inclusive and fair experience. Recount Recounts include documentaries, news updates, and current affairs reports. Recounts reconstruct past experiences to tell what happened, recording the particulars of a real incident or imagined event. The structure of a recount includes: • an orientation giving the viewer the background information needed to understand the story: who, where, when • a sequenced series of eventswhich pull the main story along • a personal commenton the story along the way.
To write a good recount storyline, ask the following questions: • What is the topic? • Who is it about? • Why? • What are the events? • Where is it happening? • What is interesting about this? • What angle will you take on this story? • Do you agree or disagree? • What is the role of the reporter, presenter in this film? • How much of them will be seen? Or is it off camera narration? • What else do you need to find out about your story? You may need to check your facts or do some extra research. Story Outline Once the story idea including characters and setting has been approved, researched and fine-tuned, write an outline of the story in one paragraph. A story outline does not include any dialogue.
Planning a Film Shoot Production planning is a crucial part of the process. Production teams need to be well organised and plan their time carefully. Make all the major decisions during pre-production beforeyou get the camera in your hands. Production teams need to complete the following pre-production components:
Script including the storyline, dialogue, directions for actors, time of day, brief location descriptions, time and lighting requirements.
Storyboard showing the planned composition and framing of the shots for each scene based on the script. • To write a storyboard you must have a clear understanding ofCamera Techniqueincluding different camera shots, angles and movements . Casting This includes finding actors or the narrator/reporter/program anchor; or completing all animated characters.
The Script Write a script to flesh out the story outline. Limit the script to between one and two pages (it is important to set tight limits to keep the production scale in context). Layout and format your script using the Sample Script see Worksheet 1. A script includes the following elements: Characters and Roles
• Who is the film about? • For a documentary or news report think about who will be the reporter or the narrator.
Locations • Where is the film taking place? • List ideas for, or design one or two appropriate locations. Locations should be within the school or on private property as filming in public places can be difficult.
Dialogue • What do the characters say and how do they say it? • All dialogue needs to be short and to the point. An actor needs to say the lines so they flow well and make sense. • If there is no dialogue in your film think about your characters facial expressions and body language. What are they thinking and feeling?
Time and Lighting • When is it happening? • Decide on the time of day and any specific lighting conditions if required. (Keep it simple!)
Direction • What do you want the actors to do? • Give the actors specific directions for each scene.
Music and Sound Effects • Add instructions on ideas for music and sound effects if required.
Storyboards A storyboard is based on the script and uses rough drawings like a comic, to plan the shots for each scene. This is where you plan the composition and framing of the shots for your production. Storyboards are used for both animation and live action productions. The drawings are simple and are worked on until the planned sequence of events run smoothly. Each sketch must fill the frame in exactly the same way the shot will fill the frame on the screen in the finished film. This means you can see clearly how each shot will look. Write character’s dialogue and any action beneath each shot.
To plan your storyboard, think about the following:
• What do you need to show? (What can the audience assume without needing to see it?) • What shots do you want to use? Where is a long shot/close-up etc required? • What camera angles are appropriate? • Where will the actors be? Which direction do they come on and off or move around in the shot? • What sort of light do you want?
Camera Technique Filmmakers use a variety of different shots, angles and camera movement to visually tell their story. Common shot types include:
Wide shotsor long shots show the whole person or the whole feature object as part of the landscape. This is often the opening shot and may be called an establishing shot since it establishes the location and often the time and mood of the scene.
Mid shots shows the actors from the waist up. These are the most commonly used shots for showing action and dialogue
•Close-ups show the actor's face or a significant object this allows the audience to judge the characters’ reaction to what is happening.
Extreme close-upshots are used for dramatic emphasis.
A Point of View (POV) shot is where the camera shares a character's point of view, and appears to be looking through their eyes. A Reverse shot is from the other side of the previous shot, such as cutting between two characters talking or the shot that follows a point of view shot.
Common camera angles include: High angle – the camera is positioned on an angle above the action looking down. Low angle – the camera is positioned on an angle from below the action looking up. Eye level – the camera is at the same height as the action.
Common camera movements include: Zoom – the shot zooms in to show a detail or it zooms out to show more of the scene.
Casting Cast your main parts and lock in the talent required –actors, narrator, reporter etc. Finish up design and preparation of any animated characters or drawings if doing an animation. What Next?
You are now ready to prepare for the film shoot. For more information see the follow up article Filmmaking Across the Curriculum: A
Key Filmmaking Guidelines
Before launching into production some simple guidelines should be considered:
1. Keep films short and simple. 60 seconds can be a very long time watching a boring, badly made film.
Aim to produce short, good quality video stories that are one to three minutes maximum in length.
Many filmmakers (of all ages) fall into the trap of trying to produce an epic movie, inevitably with unfortunate consequences.
2. Good films are:
• well thought out,
• tightly scripted,
• well recorded, and
• carefully edited.
3. Allocate lots of time to the project, and then some more, as it always takes longer than you think.
4. Encourage cooperative teamwork.
5. Encourage the production teams to make all the major production decisions before the shoot begins.
Setting Up Production Teams
Filmmaking is a cooperative process.
What’s the Film’s Story?
It is the quality of the idea that has the greatest impact on the quality of the final product so it is important to get the right
initial idea for your film. A good story can carry a less than perfectly made film but pointless waffle will not.
Key questions to consider at this point:
• Why are you making this film?
• Are there any specific requirements such as topic, content specifications, time limit and format to consider?
• Who is your audience?
• What is your message?
What sort of film will you make?
Narrowing Down a Film Story
After brainstorming list the initial ideas for their film project.
First ideas are usually too "big" for a one to three minute film. At this stage each team may need to look within their initial story for more
manageable "smaller" film stories of interest.
• Choose one idea
• Brainstorm a list of ideas within the initial story that could be more easily explored in a one to three minute film.
• Share ideas, discuss, modify, refine, justify, and negotiate until one film idea is agreed. (Set a strict time limit for this.)
• Give your film story a "working" title – this can be changed later.
• Encourage teams to practice cooperative group skills to make this an inclusive and fair experience.
Recount
Recounts include documentaries, news updates, and current affairs reports. Recounts reconstruct past
experiences to tell what happened, recording the particulars of a real incident or imagined event.
The structure of a recount includes:
• an orientation giving the viewer the background information needed to understand the story: who, where, when
• a sequenced series of events which pull the main story along
• a personal comment on the story along the way.
To write a good recount storyline, ask the following questions:
• What is the topic?
• Who is it about?
• Why?
• What are the events?
• Where is it happening?
• What is interesting about this?
• What angle will you take on this story?
• Do you agree or disagree?
• What is the role of the reporter, presenter in this film?
• How much of them will be seen? Or is it off camera narration?
• What else do you need to find out about your story? You may need to check your facts or do some extra research.
Story Outline
Once the story idea including characters and setting has been approved, researched and fine-tuned, write an outline of the
story in one paragraph. A story outline does not include any dialogue.
Planning a Film Shoot
Production planning is a crucial part of the process. Production teams need to be well organised and plan their time carefully.
Make all the major decisions during pre-production before you get the camera in your hands.
Production teams need to complete the following pre-production components:
Script
including the storyline, dialogue, directions for actors, time of day, brief location descriptions,
time and lighting requirements.
Storyboard
showing the planned composition and framing of the shots for each scene based on the script.
• To write a storyboard you must have a clear understanding ofCamera Technique including different camera shots,
angles and movements
.
Casting
This includes finding actors or the narrator/reporter/program anchor; or completing all animated characters.
The Script
Write a script to flesh out the story outline. Limit the script to between one and two pages (it is important to set tight limits to keep the production scale in context). Layout and format your script using the
Sample Script
see Worksheet 1.
A script includes the following elements:
Characters and Roles
• Who is the film about?
• For a documentary or news report think about who will be the reporter or the narrator.
Locations
• Where is the film taking place?
• List ideas for, or design one or two appropriate locations. Locations should be within the school or on private property as filming in public places can be difficult.
Dialogue
• What do the characters say and how do they say it?
• All dialogue needs to be short and to the point. An actor needs to say the lines so they flow well and make sense.
• If there is no dialogue in your film think about your characters facial expressions and body language. What are they thinking and feeling?
Time and Lighting
• When is it happening?
• Decide on the time of day and any specific lighting conditions if required. (Keep it simple!)
Direction
• What do you want the actors to do?
• Give the actors specific directions for each scene.
Music and Sound Effects
• Add instructions on ideas for music and sound effects if required.
Storyboards
A storyboard is based on the script and uses rough drawings like a comic, to plan the shots for each scene.
This is where you plan the composition and framing of the shots for your production.
Storyboards are used for both animation and live action productions.
The drawings are simple and are worked on until the planned sequence of events run smoothly.
Each sketch must fill the frame in exactly the same way the shot will fill the frame on the screen in the finished film.
This means you can see clearly how each shot will look. Write character’s dialogue and any action beneath each shot.
To plan your storyboard, think about the following:
• What do you need to show? (What can the audience assume without needing to see it?)
• What shots do you want to use? Where is a long shot/close-up etc required?
• What camera angles are appropriate?
• Where will the actors be? Which direction do they come on and off or move around in the shot?
• What sort of light do you want?
Camera Technique
Filmmakers use a variety of different shots, angles and camera movement to visually tell their story.
Common shot types include:
Wide shots or long shots
show the whole person or the whole feature object as part of the landscape.
This is often the opening shot and may be called an establishing shot since it establishes the
location and often the time and mood of the scene.
Mid shots
shows the actors from the waist up. These are the most commonly used shots for showing action and dialogue
•Close-ups
show the actor's face or a significant object this allows the audience to judge the characters’ reaction to what is
happening.
Extreme close-up shots are used for dramatic emphasis.
A Point of View
(POV) shot is where the camera shares a character's point of view, and appears to be looking through their eyes.
A Reverse shot
is from the other side of the previous shot, such as cutting between two characters talking or the shot that follows a point of view shot.
Common camera angles include:
High angle
– the camera is positioned on an angle above the action looking down.
Low angle
– the camera is positioned on an angle from below the action looking up.
Eye level
– the camera is at the same height as the action.
Common camera movements include:
Zoom
– the shot zooms in to show a detail or it zooms out to show more of the scene.
Casting
Cast your main parts and lock in the talent required –actors, narrator, reporter etc.
Finish up design and preparation of any animated characters or drawings if doing an animation.
What Next?
You are now ready to prepare for the film shoot. For more information see the follow up article Filmmaking Across the Curriculum: A